Slidable jaw pipe wrench



Oct. 17, 1950 w. A. SPARKS- SL'IDABLE JAW PIPE WRENCH Filed April 26, 1948 mmh . ml m mwi EN M BY am QMTTORNEYS Patented Oct. 17, 1950 e'UNIrrp STAT-E SIiIDABLE JAW PIPE WRENCH Warren A. Sparks, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to John M. Henry, Inglewood, Calif.

ApplicaticnApril 26, 1948, Serial No. 23,165V

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a wrench, and more particularly a pipe wrench in which means is provided for rapidly setting the wrench in work engaging position and releasably holding the wrench in such work engaging position simply by the rotation of the handle member.

It is a feature of'this invention that whenvthe jaw is adjusted to the accommodation of larger size pipe, which is generally accompanied with greater resistance to the making up of a pipe joint, the length of the handle of the wrench is correspondingly increased with a corresponding increase in mechanical advantage, thus tending to overcome the increased resistance.

It is a further feature of this invention while a conventional pivoted cam jaw'member is utilized, the disadvantages attending the carrying of the load upon the pivot pin of such jaw member are overcome by carrying the load directly on the socket of the cam.

It is a further feature of this invention that Work engaged by the Wrench is automatically centered in the jaws, thus distributing the load equally over the circular socket of the pivoted jaw.

It is, accordingly, one object of this invention to provide a pipe wrench of the type described in which the length of the handle, and, correspondingly, the mechanical advantage, is increased when the wrench is adjusted to accommodate larger pipe.

It is a, further object of this invention to proi vide a wrench of the type described which is embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom view, partly in section, of the Wrench shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a section taken along the line G-B of Figure 3. Y

2 Y v Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a wrench indicated generally at I0 and including a main bar II having a nattened mandrel portion I2 threaded on its outer end as at I3 to receive a sleeve handle member 4 which is internally threadedas at I5 for engagement with the threads I3 of the mandrel. The Y handle member I4 may be provided with a plurality of knurled rings i6 to facilitate gripping by the operator. The main bar member |I is recessed on either side as at and is provided with a central yopening or slot I8 which is bridged as at I9 and 20 as indicated in Figure 3.

VA slide 2I comprising a generally cylindrical member split into two halves 22 and 2,3 is mounted upon themain bar memberforw'ard ofthe handle member I4 and the two halves are held together by pins 24, 25 and 2t. The twohalves 22 andv 23 are provided at their inner sides with keys 21 and 28 adaptedfto ride in the recesses I'Ior the slot I8 and thus maintain the slide r2| in position upon the bar I I. A coil spring 29 is provided between the two halves 22 and 23 of the slide 2| with one end abutting the pin 2B and the other end abutting the bridge I9 thus tending to bias the slide 2| toward the rear of the wrench. The pin 25 is adapted toengage the forward side of the bridge I9 and provide astop preventing the slide 2| from moving rearward of the wrench further than is desired under the bias of the spring 29. The two halves 22 and 23 of the slide 2| are each provided with a. V-shaped open jaw member 30 and 3|. The bar I I includes an upstanding rib 32 having an open gap 33 and a forward depending portion 34 in which is pivotally mounted, as by the pin 35, a jaw cam 39. The jaw cam 36 is formed vin two identical parts 31 and 38 each carried on thel pin and keyed thereto, and a pin 39 is also secured to each of the parts 3l and 38. The forward portion 34 of the bar II is recessed on either side as at 49 and 4I to provide sockets for the cams 3l land 38 'and thus forming a central portion 42 between the two cams 3'! and 38, and the central portion 42 has a shoulder 43 thereon Aforming a stop adapted to be engaged bythe pin 39 and limit rotation of the cam members 31 and'38. Cam `members 3l' and 38 on their rearward faces are cut on a curve generally approaching a portion of an ellipse, and this portion is serrated as at 44 and 45 to provide a gripping surface.

In operation the wrench I0 is placed upon the work to be engaged, such as a pipe to be turned, with the gap 33 engaging'the pipe. The operator then may' grasp the slide 2| in one hand and the handle I4 in the other hand lmay slide forward until the jaws 30 and 3i are in firm engagement with the pipe and then quickly spin the handle I4 upon the mandrel I2 thus holding the jaws in clamped position. Due to the V-shaped nature of the jaws 30 and 3| and the pivotal mounting of the jaw cams 3l and 33, any pipe engaged by the wrench will be automatically centered in the jaws and the load will be carried by the circular portions 42 forming the dening wall of the recessed sockets 40 and 4I rather than by the pin 35.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that alternatively to quickly adjustingr the wrench by sliding the slide 2I forward and then spinning the handle I4 with the other hand, the wrench may be adjusted entirely with the use of only one hand by simply turning the handle I4 to force the slide 2I forward to the desired posi tion. Further, it will be apparent that as the slide 2l is moved rearward to open up the jaws to engage a larger pipe it is necessary to back 'off the handle I4 thus increasing the over-all length of the Wrench and the mechanical ad- .vantage available to the operator.

While there has been described what is at present considered a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be apparent that various changes and modiiications may be made Awithout departing from the essence ofthe in- 'vention, and it is intended to cover herein all lsuch changes and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Whatis Vclaimed is: l1'. A pipe wrench comprising a main bar; said bar being shaped to form a slot on either side of said bar and extending longitudinally thereof means `forming an opening through vsaid bar `aligned with said slots; a slide comprising two parts joined together by pins adapted to project through said opening in said bar and each having a longitudinally disposed key fitting in freely slidable engagement with one of said slots; a jaw carried by the free end of each of said parts; said bar being externally threaded at one end; a handle internally threaded for engagement with the threads on said bar and having a portion adapted to engage the other end of said parts to hold said jaws in work-holding position; said bar having a jaw formed upon its free end spaced from the jaws carried by said parts.

2. A pipe wrench as set forth in claim 1 in which a coil compression spring is provided in said opening having one end engaging a wall of said opening and the other end engaging one of said pins and normally biasing said slide towards open position.

' WARREN A. SPARKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following` references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED v STATES PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 7, 1942 

